Tableau Expands Data Connections to Include PDFs
Tableau Software, a provider of software for visual analytics, has announced Tableau 10.3, which is targeted at helping organizations achieve insights faster with improvements in four key areas, according to Tableau’s Dustin Smith. Automated table and join recommendations enabled by machine learning algorithms simplify the search for the right data for analysis. In addition, data-driven alerts allow for proactive monitoring of key metrics. Tableau 10.3 also connects with six new data sources for analysis, including PDF documents. And finally, Tableau Online customers will now be able to try a beta release of Tableau Bridge, which enables a connection to data stored on premises directly in the cloud to support hybrid data systems.
With automated table and join recommendations Tableau is allowing users to ask questions and drag out a table in Tableau, and automatically, as they start to ask those questions, be guided to a trusted path. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, Tableau Server analyzes aggregate data source usage to recommend popular tables and corresponding joins across the organization. With recommendations, customers can save time by quickly identifying database tables that are relevant to their analysis and leveraging join recommendations to enrich their data, so they can more rapidly apply insights from experts and other users across their organization, increasing the overall quality of their data models.
Tableau 10.3 makes it easier for users to stay engaged with the metrics that matter most to them with new data-driven alerts that help them respond faster to important changes, said Smith. With new data-driven alerts, customers can receive notifications as their data crosses a pre-set threshold, ensuring they do not miss an important change in their organization.
Tableau 10.3 also makes it easier for teams to access data, wherever it resides with connections to more than 75 data sources via 66 connectors, without any programming. An important capability introduced in this area is the PDF connector, which allows people to directly import PDF tables into Tableau with one click. With an estimated 2.5 trillion Adobe PDFs worldwide, this enables a new area of data that can be leveraged for analysis. Additionally, Tableau now comes with new connectors to other popular data sources such as Amazon Athena, ServiceNow, MongoDB, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive.
Tableau Online customers can now leverage data stored on premises directly in the cloud with the new Tableau Bridge. This is important for organizations that are in various stages of transitioning from on-premise to cloud, noted Smith. Although they may be moving to the cloud, they may also have legacy data sources that they need to have access to from a SaaS analytical platform such as Tableau Online, and now Tableau Bridge supports that hybrid option, he explained. Available to all Tableau Online customers to try, Tableau Bridge will allow a connection to on-premise data.
A full feature list for Tableau 10.3 is available at www.tableau.com/new-features/10.3.
A free trial is accessible at www.tableau.com/trial.